Dr. Qin Gu is a specialist in neurology (brain & spinal cord disease). He works in Hudson, FL, New Port Richey, FL, and Brooksville, FL. Patient reviews placed him at an average of 2.0 stars out of 5. His areas of expertise include sleep apnea, carpal tunnel syndrome, and headache. Dr. Gu is an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and more. He attended Second Military Medical University and then went on to complete his residency at Westchester Medical Center. Dr. Gu is conversant in Chinese. He is affiliated with Bayfront Health Brooksville, Oak Hill Hospital, and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.

Dr. Siddharth Shah works as a neurologist. Dr. Shah attended Grant Medical College and then went on to complete his residency at Howard University Hospital and Georgetown University Hospital. His areas of expertise include migraine, myasthenia gravis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The average patient rating for Dr. Shah is 1.5 stars out of 5. He takes several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO. In addition to English, Dr. Shah (or staff) speaks Hindi. Dr. Shah is affiliated with Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, Morton Plant North Bay Hospital, and Medical Center of Trinity.

Dr. David Malka is a specialist in neurology (brain & spinal cord disease). He attended the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and then went on to complete his residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of South Florida (USF). Clinical interests for Dr. Malka include trigger point injections, cancer, and pain. Dr. Malka's average rating from his patients is 2.5 stars out of 5. He takes Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and more. Dr. Malka (or staff) speaks Arabic and Spanish. Dr. Malka's professional affiliations include Bayfront Health Brooksville, Oak Hill Hospital, and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.

The specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) is not one that many people are immediately familiar with, yet it is one that serves thousands of people every year. Also known as Physiatry, it is sometimes simply referred to as Rehabilitation or Rehab. This specialty focuses on restoring quality of life for patients who are experiencing physical pain or loss of function after a traumatic illness or injury. After major surgery, a car accident, a long illness such as cancer, or a major change to the body (such as the loss of a limb), it is the PM&R physicians who help patients begin to feel better and put the pieces of their life back together again.

PM&R physicians work with patients who have been disabled by pain or the loss of motion or cognition, and they find ways to restore function. They may consult with other physicians such as neurologists, orthopedists, physical therapists, or psychiatrists. PM&R specialists treat the whole person, not specific symptoms or illnesses, and their goal is to help patients lead active and able lives.

One example of services performed by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician is teaching a patient who just had a leg amputated how to get around the house, use the bathroom, bathe, and care for themselves. A different example might be helping a patient learn how to walk again after a traumatic brain injury. Because there are so many different causes of pain and disability, the list of services provided by PM&R physicians is nearly endless. Generally, services that are provided by a PM&R specialist can fall into one of the following care categories:

Self-care skills (bathing, grooming)

Physical care (feeding, taking medication)

Mobility

Respiratory care (ventilator care, exercises for lung function)

Communication

Cognitive skills (memory, problem solving)

Vocational training

Pain management

Psychological counseling (adapting to a disability)

Because there are so many options, it can be a very creative specialty. When accidents, pain, or illness cause disability, it is the physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists who are there to give patients their life back.

Neurology is the study of the brain and nervous system, including the spinal cord and nerves. Disorders of the nervous system can affect many parts of the body, and a neurological exam must be quite thorough. A neurologist examining a new patient will check for any issues with:

motor skills (the way your brain and muscles work together)

sensory skills (sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell)

nerve function

coordination and balance

changes in mood or behavior

A neurologist can order different kinds of tests to check the function of the brain and nerves. These tests may include a head CT scan (a type of 3-dimensional x-ray), an electroencephalogram (which measures the electrical impulses inside the brain), an MRI (a detailed image of the brain or spinal cord), or electromyography (which uses electricity to test nerve function). The results of the exam and the tests help neurologists diagnose and form treatment plans for disorders like multiple sclerosis, tremors, stroke, and migraine headaches.

Some neurological problems, such as certain brain tumors, may require surgical treatment. Since neurologists do not perform surgery, they will refer patients who need operations to a surgical subspecialist, such as a neurosurgeon. Beyond surgery, a neurologist might recommend any of the following treatments:

physical therapy (stretches and exercises can increase balance and range of motion, helping patients to move more easily and with less pain)

Therapies such as these can improve quality of life for patients dealing with neurological disorders. Neurologists help their patients sense and interact with the world at their very best.

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What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the protective covering of nerves, causing communication issues between the brain and other parts of the body. The cause of MS is unknown, but some factors may raise a person’s risk of developing it. For example, if your parent or sibling has MS, or you have another autoimmune disease like type 1 diabetes, you may be more predisposed to getting MS than others.

Symptoms of MS vary widely from person to person. Common ones are weakness in the arm or leg, lack of balance, stiff muscles, fatigue, dizziness, partial or total vision loss, slurred speech, and issues with bowel and bladder function. While there is no cure for MS, treatments focus on the following:

Reducing attacks, which occur when nerves become inflamed (or swollen), causing new symptoms to arise or existing ones to worsen. Drugs like corticosteroids lessen inflammation and may help prevent attacks or limit their occurrence.

Slowing the development of the disease. Immunomodulators are medications that alter the body’s immune response. They may minimize nerve damage brought on by MS and thus decrease the rate at which it progresses.

Easing symptoms. Physical therapy can help with leg weakness and improve balance. Medicines like muscle relaxants may be prescribed to reduce muscle stiffness.

Living with MS can be a challenge, but due to advancements in medicine over the past few decades, the quality of life of people with MS has increased. Although the average life expectancy of those who have the disease is about five years lower than the rest of the population, this difference seems to be at a gradual but steady decline.